Can My Spouse and I Share a Joint HSA?

Quick answer: No. The IRS requires each spouse to open their own individual Health Savings Account (HSA) — joint HSAs are not permitted. However, you can give your spouse access to your HSA by naming them an authorized signer on your account.

Key Rules for Married Couples

Separate accounts only

Every HSA must be owned by one individual. Even if you and your spouse are covered under the same family health plan, each of you must open your own HSA if you both want one.

You can share access

If you want your spouse to be able to make purchases from your HSA or speak with the bank's customer service about your account, you can formally designate them as an authorized signer. Contact your HSA provider to set this up — most providers have a simple form for it.

Catch-up contributions stay separate

If you and your spouse are each age 55 or older (or turn 55 during the calendar year), you are each eligible to contribute an extra $1,000 per year as a "catch-up" contribution. These catch-up amounts can only be deposited into each person's own account — one spouse's catch-up cannot go into the other's HSA.

Good to Know

• Funds in either spouse's HSA can generally be used for qualified medical expenses of either spouse and eligible dependents — the ownership rule is about the account, not about whose medical bills it can pay.

• The IRS family contribution limit applies to your household's combined contributions when both spouses are covered under one family HDHP, so coordinate your payroll deductions to stay within the limit.

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